Oh, hell yes.

A giant salute to any of you who have ever quit a job that focuses on pageviews and ad dollars over quality. Another salute to those of you who sometimes spend days in silence rather than adding something blah just for hits. Sometimes it’s okay to just shut up and listen. Sometimes it’s okay to just use your voice to promote other people’s awesomeness. I’m a writer, but I’m also an enormous reader too. Thank you for respecting the latter in the decisions you make about what you put out into the world.

And another thank you to the people on my blog who advertise here. I know how rare it is to be able to pay for my server costs without using an ad network. I recognize how lucky I am that most of the advertisers I have on my blog are fellow writers or bloggers or artists or small businesses who never tell me what I can or can’t write. I’m so lucky that I usually have waiting lists of people to get on my sidebar because people are so happy to support this blog. I love that my readers discover new and amazing people who advertise here. And mostly, I love that I’m part of this community. Thank you for that.

PS. Speaking of letting other voices be heard, have you read or heard something lately that you’d like to share? A song, a book, a post? If so, leave it in the comments. It’s up to us to make sure the good rises to the top, and that doesn’t always happen without help. Spotlight the good. Banish the shit. Ignore the mediocre. This is the way we work. This is the way we get better. This is the way we learn.

PPS. And by “we” I mean “me” too. I’m still learning every day what works and what doesn’t. I’m still learning that sometimes my silly fluff can be amazing, but it can also be utter crap. Also, “good” doesn’t necessarily mean “happy and sweet and positive.” Some of the best, most important and hardest things to read are critical or painful or bitter. Sometimes that means reading hard facts about ourselves. Sometimes that means admitting that there’s a kernel of truth there and that change is needed. Sometimes it means learning to judge yourself in a kinder way. Sometimes it means that there are assholes in the world who need to be punched in the junk. But always, it is good. Learning and listening and growing is good.

PPPS. I’m rambling. This is one of those posts where I look at it and wonder if it should go with the thousands of other of unfinished posts in my draft folder, but today I’m listening to the voice that says “This is good. Not for everyone. But maybe it will help for someone.”

How odd… I was just scouring your blog for a “positive moment” quote to use. We have a weekly meeting and it opens with a positive moment… I was chosen this week and wanted to use something from you. I know you have saved me a time or two and I want nothing more than to share that.

My friend Kirsten “Dr. KiKi” Sanford is in the running to be the new Executive Director of the National Center for Science Education. She’d love to show them the power of social media by getting “likes” for the NCSE on Facebook. Please check out her latest status update here: http://www.facebook.com/DrKiki It’s for SCIENCE.

A song I really love listening to at the moment is “The Car Was The One” by Mark Knopfler.
I don’t really know anybody who I see on a day-to-day basis that would appreciate folky, intelligent music like that…so I’m just gonna leave it here. :)

I appreciate this very much. The internet has given everyone a voice and sometimes, not everyone should have a voice. Even when we have a voice, I couldn’t agree more with the ‘sometimes it’s okay to shut up and listen’.

And I’ve discovered all kinds of awesome from your blog – clicking on the people who leave the comments has put me in line with some very funny and very awesome writers. (Yes, I mean you Holly with Follies and Maven of Mayhem).

Wow. I don’t even have a smart-ass, quick-witted response. I’m a struggling newbie blogger who has numbers OCD. I wish they made a pill for numbers OCD. I’d take it. I take pills for everything else. I don’t want that particular disease. I just want to write and I’d like for people to read and, occasionally, if I put something half-way decent out there, I’d like to get a nice comment or two. That’s all. Thanks for reminding me why I started doing this because it really wasn’t about the numbers; although, I would like to eventually be able to quit my job and dance around my bosses desk…. Oh to dream…

I just read a genuinely funny, fucked-up YA mystery novel called No One Else Can Have You by Kathleen Hale. The protagonist is awkward and smart and weird as hell, who, when she was a child, attacked people when she was overwhelmed with emotions, so some people in her small Wisconsin town, including her school’s lunch lady, know her as “Banzai.” Her best friend was murdered and she sets out to solve the mystery. The good news is that it’s basically the best thing ever. The bad news is that it isn’t out until January. Totally worth a preorder though.

So that was ten kinds of awesomeness. Though maybe not the most professional way to leave a job, I feel her pain. Kudos to her for realizing that there are things more important than a job (especially if it’s responsible for sucking your soul like a Dyson).

Love, love, love that video! and in an effort to allow the excellent to rise to the top, here’s a video I think you should watch, made by a high school student who understands what freedom means… https://vimeo.com/35603753

It’s like Office Space, but short and sweet. Who doesn’t want to go all postal and quit? Right now I’d like to punch a contractor in the trachea. (Thanks to Erika for that suggestion!) Going out dancing is icing on the cake! I got a couple of number ones for you boss!!

Yesterday afternoon and evening I sat on my front porch with my family and some friends and just enjoyed the time, rather than worrying about all the stuff that I had to do. And I loved it. I don’t do enough of that. And I wrote a post about it. Read if you want to, but more importantly, find those things that renew you. Because that is what makes us better at life. :)

Mad respect for your blogging skills. I have no intention of making money or getting attention……I just blog to let the world know I exist (and not feel so alone)…..and it is HARD!!!! 99% of my thoughts don’t seem worth putting out there. And then I think “what would Jenny do?” so I blog anyway. You are an inspiration for all of us mentally unbalanced folks just trying to figure things out. Oh wait, the therapist says that EVERYONE is mentally unbalanced and I am perfectly normal. hahahaha

Okay, so this made me burst into tears, but in a good way, because of that little bit you let slip there at the end. As someone who has 277 draft posts of various length (and we’re not gonna talk about the stack of post ideas and notes on index cards filling my top desk drawer) and only about a dozen that I’ve posted, well, I feel a little less of a doof at the moment.

Thank you. We need more posiive on the internet. I told a stupid joke on twitter yesterday and immediatey some asshat decided to make fun of me for “telling a joke that was old three years ago”. Funny that the asshat who called me unoriginal had a tweet stream of noting but retweets. Also, for sharing – the video for my favorite song from the new Bowling for Soup album – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unNRS9kr8rE

You’ve often saved me… and I happily show up here several times a week hoping for a new post that I either completely relate to or just for a giggle. And meeting you in person (San Jose, CA) is still one of my highlights of my life!

Here is what I want to share today because it made me laugh in a way that caused my dog to bark. If I sold lizards for a living, my business would be called Tiny Dinosaurs for Cats. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY-zngxmT_U

You make my life, and that of my friends – infinitely better. My husband, while wary of having to rescue me from a choking fit when I read your entries, loves the way you make me laugh until I cry and snort things out of my nose. <3

This is good stuff.
The other day I was running (this is what I do to deal with my anxiety. The physical act of flight calms my brain down.) and I was thinking about books and I realized how deeply valuable the book “Auntie Mame” was to my development. I first read it when I was eight year old (I come from a family where there were a lot of books on the shelves and there wasn’t any rule about “you have to be this old to read certain books.”) and it taught me to be suspicious of people who hide their bigotry behind a facade of “nice values”, and it taught me how there is very rarely a complete end to things. There is merely an intermission and always another act to be had in life. Which in many cases is helpful when wrestling with life, anxiety, and the great unknown. It is a racy book in the best possible way, and it makes you want to go out and find your own Auntie Mame to help you learn how to live. It is a deliciously American/New York kind of book that is somehow always modern.

It can be really scary to leave a job that is providing your housing and food, but this woman did it with style and grace. And I’m pretty sure she didn’t call out the company, so I’ll give her credit for that too.

My sister just quit her time- energy- and social-life-sucking job to focus on her art. I may be biased but I think she’s awesome. Here’s her brand new website full of win: http://studiocatawampus.com/:)

I’m finding that just putting my thoughts out there, to be actually heard by somebody, anybody at all, is pushing my evolution along. The first time I read aloud to a large group, I felt like I was on a high that I’d never experienced.

I read “Divergent” and “Insurgent” by Veronica Roth recently. I enjoyed both of them immensely and can highly recommend them. I also recently read “The Fault in Our Stars” by John Green and I warn you to get a whole box of Kleenex (but it’s a good cry). I love this idea of sharing what we find to be extraordinary and as one of your advertisers, I thank you for giving us this forum to share what we do and for writing what you want, because that’s what drew us to you in the first place.

I am a glacially slow writer and there are a lot of times that I wonder if I should do more posts. Unfortunately I’m extremely critical of my writing and I know that if I posted just to post I would want to set my laptop on fire and never write again. My stats could be better if I wrote more (or on any kind of schedule) but that’s how I roll. So I roll with it.

just stole a quote from this and made it my status. giving you credit of course. if only we ALL TRULY lived like this “Spotlight the good. Banish the shit. Ignore the mediocre. This is the way we work. This is the way we get better. This is the way we learn.” Thanks for all that you do.

Here is a link to Nicholas Gagnier, my son’s blog, Retcon Poet. He is also the author of Ground Zero, a book of poetry that focuses on the mental health challenges of young people. Nick survived abuse at a private school, a lifetime labelled as the poster boy for ADHD, depression, drug abuse, etc. etc. Finally coming into his own.

If you love silly and or just plain awesomeness then you must read Fortunately, The Milk by Neil Gaiman, it says it’s a kids book but that’s a lie, I’m almost 50 and I couldn’t put it down, one of those books where you have to find out how he gets from there to here and all points in between. Dinosaurs, wumpires, angry one eyed gods, awesome lady pirates and a guest appearance by a piranha.
Do yourself and any kids you have a favour and buy this book.

I’ve put aside my semi-daily blog posts lately to focus on the “not-so-nice-shit-that-is-out-there”, which in this case is my husband’s diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Weekly updates are all that people get now, which is about all I can handle lately. One thing I haven’t given up is stopping by here. I have to get my smiles somewhere!

I teach at-risk students at an at-risk school in an at-risk neighborhood. I’m fortunate to work with dedicated educators who work late hours (at school or home) and on the weekends and are constantly looking for ways to improve the quality of education of our children.
We’re constantly borrowing, begging & bugging businesses on behalf of our students. (An after school program that feeds them dinner, a back pack program that sends home non-perishable food for the weekend, fruit and vegetable donations for healthy snack time in the afternoon, clothes bank, coat drive….etc)
Last week our local branch of a large national chain showed up with cake, presents and $50 gift cards….for the teachers!!! As one of my co-workers put it, ‘It was like being on Oprah’s big give away show!” So while we set high expectations for our students, you can see how little it takes to make us feel appreciated.
Not a song, book or quote….but a simple little story about how being recognized can be as awesome as Oprah :)

If you like suspense fiction, you should check out my friend and colleague Eric Praschan. You can buy the Kindle version of his books for a buck apiece. I think he’s a good suspense writer, and an awesome human being.

This is seriously my favorite post. Of the year. Of any blog. You. Rock.

Here’s a website that, while not intensely intellectual or well-writing (hardly any words), does its job of putting smiles on viewers’ faces. Particularly viewers who just need a break to look at cute, happy stuff.

Today, I started my own business. FU corporate world. FU, angry boss, participant numbers, sponsorship dollars, and fundraising. FU – because you didn’t care about the mission, you cared about covering your own ass and doing things “your way or the highway”.

My husband and I, in our spare time, make short films about the things around us that are taken for granted. We finished one last week on San Francisco International Airport (SFO) – but it’s so interesting to see that a lot of people don’t “get” that making a sharing art is uplifting, encouraging. Everyone wants to know your ‘agenda’. Ours is only to make people see the beauty in the everyday, to uplift, to inspire. And I’m proud as punch with it.

Love your blog. You are seriously disturbed. Please keep us updated. In the meantime, I’ve noticed you have an affection for the SLOW LORIS. I can’t figure out how to post the article here, but Reader’s Digest just ran a piece on 5 adorable, deadly creatures. Turns out SLOW LORISES are the only poisonous mammals on the planet. It gets better: the secret poison from their ELBOWS. What’s not to love? You’re Welcome.

I appreciate everything you do. I have gifted your book to everyone I know and it’s allowed both of my mother-in-laws to get to know me and my sense of humor a little better. (IN case you’re wondering how I have 2. My husband’s parents are divorced… anyone really talking about what it’s like to be of the “divorced parents” age?)

Anyway. This is something I am very proud of, and was very difficult for my husband. His brother died 16 years ago at the age of 16. He wanted to do a small fundraiser in his honor, and it has opened old wounds. He finds it hard to talk about still. But I am so proud of him for putting himself out there. We’re about 30% funded for a non-profit contribution for cure childhood cancer.

I would love if anyone could help spread the word or donate. I want to show him that good can come out of the terrible things that happen to us.

Also because the people behind Mario & Fafa buried 10,000 in gold coins (sacagaweas) for a publicity stunt a few years ago — and then after Hurricane Sandy, when it was still unfound, they UNBURIED it and donated it to an organization helping people recover from the storm. Seriously — they walked in with $10k in cash as a donation. I love those people.

The thing I’m telling everyone who will listen (actually anyone with visible ears) is Aisha Tyler’s book Self-Inflicted Wounds. While reading it, I had the same feeling of “Oh, I am laughing too loud at this part, people are looking, but it’s just so FUNNY!” that I had while reading your book.

A few years ago, the wife read me the Beyonce blog and she and I were in tears with our cheeks hurting. I thought, “Hey, I’ve got a messed up reality, surely others would like to hear about it.” Well, two blogs later and an article in a local magazine, I have to do is say thanks Bloggess for the inspiration. You’ve turned me away from meth. Wait, I could have made a fortune.

the book of manning. i had no idea just how awesome archie manning is. i knew he was awesome, of course. he’s given us some badass quarterbacks. but that man could shimmy his way out of tackles like no other. it is the best football documentary i’ve ever seen. very well put together.

eleanor and park by rainbow rowell. best book i’ve read in a decade. SO, SO good. also, the fault in our stars by john green, the language of flowers by vanessa diffenbaugh, right before your eyes by ellen shanman, lovers and dreamers by nora roberts, love rosie by cecelia ahern and the time traveler’s wife by audrey niffenegger.

Actually, I discovered this whole system of awesomeness called Access Consciousness. They have some awesome books, the best of which is (in my opinion) Being You, Changing the World by Dr. Dain Heer. I’ve taken a few classes and it’s the most beneficial stuff I’ve found. The goal is to have full consciousness by judging nothing as wrong. Instead you use awareness to determine what is best for you and your situation. Very freeing stuff. Very healing.

I’ve run into people occasionally trying to tell me what I should/shouldn’t blog about. I’ve agonized about some of my decisions, but ultimately I’m really glad I didn’t bow to someone else’s crap. If I’m silly or fired up or angry or funny it’s still my shit.

I want you to know that I’ve found some really wonderful people through your sidebar – AND I convinced at least one of them to be my friend. I also “find” a lot of people through your comments. That means a lot to me, and I wanted to thank you for it. It’s not like I only come here because you’re crazy and funny about being crazy. I come here because you’re human. Sometimes your posts resonate with me more than others, but I’m always happy you’re around. I hope you’re around for a super duper long time.

That was completely awesome! I have always dreamed of quitting a job like that. Though I bet it took a while to record and edit. I would probably just find some old beaten up fax machine and fax that shit in. As it were, the last full time job I had, I ended up taking 6 months of Short Term Disability for crippling Depression and Anxiety, and then quit right before going back to work. I don’t make the rules. That’s just how it works.

I currently sort of work for myself, so I tell myself I quit quite a bit. Fortunately, I am usually too busy doing interpretive dance to listen. :-D I love writing and blogging and I always write for myself. I don’t get near as many hits as when I wrote on my divorce blog, or my work/hell blog, but I think the quality of the content has greatly improved. I have gotten out of the habit of reading other blogs, but I am trying to get back into that. It is awesome to find something that inspires, but I also love things that make me pee myself laughing.

Right on? And I don’t have just one thing to share, because EVERY Monday on my blog, I post a list called “Something Good” (this week I wrote the 97th such list) which is all the good things on the internet from the past week. Every week I think “there’s no way I’ll be able to find this much stuff again next week. The internet will run out,” and yet, EVERY week, there it is, another list. Last week had 50+ things on it! Next week, this post, “Oh, hell yes” is going to be #1.

I’d love to share a friend of mine’s blog…http://www.juliegillis.com/…social activist, crusader, and a stunningly beautiful person to know…when I grow up I either want to be her or Jenny…or some hybrid thereof…that would rock.

So, I am a recent convert to the Cult of the Bloggess and this is the first time I have commented. I have a couple of things to say: I wish I was braver when I was your age. Rambling is NEVER worthless. Dance breaks are NECESSARY!
Keep blogging; I will keep reading.
Thank you and Bright Blessings!

I look forward to quitting jobs that focus on page views, when I don’t need them to pay my rent, which is my current situation. While I do, I am grateful for every person who is willing to click, which is probably wrong and makes me a sellout, but when I’m in the hole, sometimes I need to deal with what’s in front of my face until I can get out of it, and what is in front of my face is some jobs that I got that I have to see through. I am weary from running around like a lunatic on the internet trying to make money doing something I used to love, and I’m ready, actually, scarily, to do nothing at all whatsoever for awhile, but that probably won’t happen for a long time, if ever. I don’t have the emotional resources or time to write on my own site. I don’t even think I paid for hosting last month. I should probably check.

I have something huge that I wish I could write about, but I’m afraid that if I do, I won’t be hireable, for various reasons, and I can’t risk that because I need to be hired again at a single in-person job, I know that much. I’m not afraid to work, that much is true. I don’t know how I got here. Some of it was my own messed up brain — depressed, addicted, etc. But maybe more of it than I care to examine is my own inability to aim in the correct direction for what I wasn’t sure that I was capable of doing or writing or being in print? I should probably check my head about that, too.

All of that said, I keep reading and listening to people like Schmutzie (http://schmutzie.com/) and Amanda Magee, (http://amandamagee.com/) who make me feel better about being a human being on the earth, because of people like them. And the most beautiful thing I’ve seen on the internet in recent memory is the Mary Lambert “She Keeps Me Warm” video. You’ve probably seen it, Jenny, but here it is again.

Thank you, Jenny, for giving me a place to shamelessly self promote my own blog! I’ve recently been featured on Schmutzie’s Five Star Friday and I’ve been trying hard to put everything that I have into my blog. I’ve actually been writing since about 2005 but have only just now gotten serious about wanting other people to read what I’ve written.
I come to your blog because it makes me feel less alone, it makes me feel good that there are other people out there as f**ked as I am, and you put the funniest voice on the most mundane and/or awful things (I’m talking about dead dogs here!) Thanks from all of us.

I believe in blogging. I believe in putting all the scary painful stuff I go through out there. I believe in it because it makes it less. It horrifies my parents and sister, but if I write about these things, they lose power over me. If I share the painful and funny story about my second trip to a therapist, someone who is scared about going might see read it and see it is difficult, but it isn’t insurmountable. If I post about being 428 pounds at 6′ tall and trying to finally love myself and take care of myself, and all the shame that comes with getting to that number, that number loses some of its power over me.

Keeping our hurts and our traumas locked away doesn’t protect us. It hurts us. It isolates us, and it gives those hurts and shames more power over us than it should.

I recently read Goddess Legacy by M.W. Muse. It is the first in a series of books, and is free for the Kindle. (The rest of the series cost a few $$ once you are hooked.) This was the first set of books in 3 years that I.could.not.put.down. It is Twilight meets Greek Mythology. Loved it! I can’t wait for the next series to pick up where this one left off. It is labeled young adult, but I would say that 18+ is more appropriate due to some steamy scenes.

Okay..here’s a band that you should all do yourselves a favor and listen to. The Madisons. Not only are they wonderful, but the singer, Lizzie Harrah is truly an awesome human. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkM4H2w1lWE

Spotlighting the good… I ‘d like to give a shout out to my sister Cathy Elliott, who recently became Director of Communications for DareArts, a Canadian non-profit organization that assists at-risk youth through art, music, drama and dance. She spends a lot of time in northern aboriginal communities helping the kids gain confidence, and hopefully a brighter future. http://www.darearts.com

By the way, I danced to Blurred Lines at a gathering, and the girls caught it on video, fortunately with my tablet. I erased it, because I don’t bust excellent moves like you. I dance more like a squirrel with epilepsy.

Thanks. There were some words in there I’ve been needing to hear the past few days. On Friday I was asked to resign from my first nursing job. I had been there 6 weeks, and they didn’t think I was cutting it, that the job was too much for me. Maybe there is a kernel of truth in that. Maybe it really wasn’t the right fit and I’ll find something better. It just feels really really shitty right now and I can’t see the good.

Jenny – I’m a fan of the band Blue October – local boys for you. Justin, the lead singer, has written songs all about all his mental health issues and the struggles he’s been through. They have a new album and one of the songs on it is Fear, which is pretty much all about Anxiety. Both my daughters suffer with this and I do as well at times. It’s a pretty powerful song –

Years and years ago (before social media even existed, when email was barely existing), I was in a miserable, soul-sucking job where Making a Difference meant making paperwork and Exceeding Expectations meant “don’t make noise.”

I went back to school FT while working FT, and got a new job in a different field a year later.

I ordered a giant cake. In frosting, it said:
Dear boss-name
I have accepted another position. My last day with Company U will be xx/yy/zzzz.

Sincerely,
She

And I gave my boss the cake.

It’s the only unprofessional thing I’ve ever done, and I’ve never regretted it. I burned a bridge, but some prices you happily pay. Also, it was excellent cake.

I know that this video is supposed to be uplifting, but I find it mildly (or greatly) depressing, simply because I am about to have to find a burger flipping job because of the state of the economy. And I can’t tell you how much I hate the thought of doing that. Yes, I will consider quitting on video the first day that I can afford to.

(I get you. I worked in telemarketing for many, many years and it gave me the opportunity to appreciate how hard work can be and how amazing it is when you get to finally do what you love. ~ Jenny)

Anyone watching “Orange is the New Black”? Since Kate Mulgrew (Red..head of the kitchen) is in it, a friend of mine(Kaffe) made some mashups of OitNB and Star trek Voyager. Enjoy, people. The language is NSFW but there are no actual lesbian scenes in the videos.

Janeway loves coffee. Red loves chicken. Hence the name of the video. Captain Kathryn Janeway(Kate Mulgrew) as Piper Chapman from “Orange Is the New Black”. Seven of Nine(Jeri Ryan) plays the international drug dealer/lesbian lover.

Awesome video – I deeply admire that young woman. Thank you for highlighting The Good.

And if I may be so uncouth, I’d like to offer one of my own blog posts for your reading pleasure (if you have the time and inclination, I mean). ;)

This is one of the first blog posts that I ever wrote about my alcoholism – and it is still the one that gets the most hits. It’s the one that I get the most e-mails about, from other people struggling with alcoholism or shit scared in their early days of sobriety. It’s the one that people seem to really respond to. It may help some of your readers, and so that is why I am putting the link here:

Thanks so much for this! I LOVED the video and your post. I’ve been struggling with a blog post myself today and now I feel like I have “permission” to wait until it’s great instead of publishing something mediocre. Lord knows there’s plenty of mediocre out there!

I read about parents who recently lost their beautiful daughter suddenly. in HONOR of her life, since she was on her way to try a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, they paid for people’s pimpkin spice lattes. It has carried on, around the country. I’m planning on giving any extra money I have at the end of the week in honor of #AJO. Because sometimes things feel right for a reason.
Your friend, Laurie F.

Great post – thanks for sharing those thoughts. LOVE your writing. And writing on my own blogs gives me so much satisfaction, but on some days – like today – I just don’t feel it. You made me feel better about not forcing it today. Lazy? Maybe. I’m just going to let myself have an “off day” and suck it up and get back to work tomorrow.

I don’t normally post things, but I watched this the other day and thought it was pretty amazing!! It’s a TED Talk on how the way you feel about stress can change the way stress affects you. I think everyone should watch it! :)

I’m with Erin and whoever else suggested any of the links on Upworthy. I’ve liked so many of their posts on Facebook they now show up as almost my entire newsfeed. They make me happy to be living in the world.

I’m in love with that video. It’s now added into the rotation of my other YouTube videos of the moment. One is the Jimmy Fallon/Justin Hashtag video and the other is the Jimmy Fallon Lip Sinc video. Cannot stop watching either.

I use music to get me through the challenges and hard moments. Lately I my go to cd’s are from Straight No Chaser and Carly Ritter since their songs make me smile. This weekend while I was in Las Vegas to see Straight No Chaser they introduced me to the music of “A Great Big World” and Caroline Glaser. I see both of them joining my play list. I hope someone else will enjoy a smile from these songs.

Yes to goodness. I found some this weekend and I needed it. I popped into Stained Market Place in Tampa and the two ladies who run it are putting together an art show in October to help a recently homeless artist get back on her feet. YES to people who give a damn. YES to people who take care of more than the bare minimum. YES to art. I offered my help in promoting and stuff. Inspiration and shared vision. It’s good.

I like it! There is so much content out there that just has no soul…and all the while the barrage keeps up. Sometimes even the really good content is coming at me so fast I can’t keep up. So, thank you for putting that out there. I want it to slow down a little and say something awesome. I want authentic. When I come to your blog, I know I’m getting authentic, 100% What you put up matters. Every time.

You post for you…not for anyone else. There are times when I have such an urge to just write on my blog, it doesn’t matter to me if anyone reads it or not, or anyone thinks it is worth the 15 mins it took them to read it. I generally only look at my stats to see where people are reading from more than how many people are reading…I am curious if my writing reaches to those outside my immediate circles. I have read some awesome posts lately on a few blogs but can’t pull up any of their links at this moment, so I will have to post them at a later date…there are some great writers out there…and great writers mean new ideas, learning and perspective, even if not necessarily my own.

also, for film: dedication (with billy crudup and tom wilkinson). wonderfully, politically incorrect. a children’s author and his illustrator seek inspiration for their next book. in a porn theater. it is SO FUNNY.

for music: the airborne toxic event’s self-titled album. it sounds awful at first. i hated it. but the lyrics… they’re amazing. (also look up half of something else and duet. they are fabulous.)

There’s a show I’ve been watching lately called ‘Call the Midwife,’ it’s a drama about midwives and their patients in the early 1900’s. I started watching because I was bored, but I keep watching because almost every episode makes me cry. The stories this show tells are just amazing; if you’re interested in feminism, medicine, babies, or history give it a shot. There’s a book, too.

Anyone watching “Orange is the New Black”? Since Kate Mulgrew -Capt Janeway(Red..head of the kitchen) is in it, a friend of mine(Kaffe) made some mashups of OitNB and Star trek Voyager. Enjoy, people. The language is NSFW but there are no actual lesbian scenes in the videos.

Janeway loves coffee. Red loves chicken. Hence the name of the video. Captain Kathryn Janeway(Kate Mulgrew) as Piper Chapman from “Orange Is the New Black”. Seven of Nine(Jeri Ryan) plays the international drug dealer/lesbian lover.

This is such a great post. I’ve been have an awful case of September this month, so all your positivity is so appreciated. It was one of those torrential Seattle mornings that made it nearly impossible to want to leave my warm bed, plus come to a job I decidedly do not love…. and then I found this:
“I believe in pink. I believe that laughing is the best calorie burner. I believe in kissing, kissing a lot. I believe in being strong when everything seems to be going wrong. I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls. I believe that tomorrow is another day and I believe in miracles.”
– Audrey Hepburn

AUDREY HEPBURN! The fact that it’s from her makes me even happier with it.

Other than that, I just finished reading the NIght Circus, which is a wonderful, whimsical, happy love story set in a magical circus (how can it get better than that!!).

Yep, this post was soooo meant for me today! I’ve been a follower ever since Josh Weed blogged about your blog, sometimes it’s just so great to see it written in plain view that someone else’s random thoughts are so aligned with your own that you are not alone in your spaztastic world, I hope that made as much sense on here as it did in my head! Any way I’m more than grateful to be able to read your blog, Our writing style is totally different, but I’m scatterbrained and have plenty of my own draft folders too… Keep being you and writing like you do, your blog is a great distraction from all the other madness that doesn’t matter!

I loved the video. I quit a job a few months ago where the company wanted nothing but perfect and awesome production, but forget that it’s people dealing with people who make that production happen. Quitting was such a relief!

But have you ever seen that show “Castle?” In it the character wrote 15 novels with one character that got killed off in the beginning of the series (hence why he’s following the awesome female detective that he has the hots for) and starts a new character called Nikki Heat. Anywho, they have all of those books that he’s “published” in the series written for real and for sale. They aren’t the best-written mysteries out there, but its almost like a continuation of the show!!!

Today was such a good day for me – this was just the icing on the cake! I finally landed a job interview (after losing my job in July). We’re expecting in four weeks and the baby is doing great (despite my advanced age – ha ha!). And I received a gorgeous proof of a book that myself and twenty-nine fellow bloggers have coming out later this week. You can get a sneak peek here: http://www.themotherofallmeltdowns.com.

Jenny – thanks for setting the bar high and keeping things real (always).

It’s you that makes me find the happiness in the day Jenny, because you make it okay to be me.
I loved this TedxTalks and watch it often when I feel like I am struggling. Life is messy, but better messy then not living at all.
Thank you for being you!

Enjoy one of my favorite artists – Steve Carlson. He is making a documentary of the making of his most recent CD “Different Town” This is the link to the video for the kickstarter. It is closed -but enjoy. and oh – the stories about that darn pony!!!!

I read a terrific series not long back called The Modern Witch by Debora Geary. I think she’s utterly fabulous and is good for the days where you want something lighter, but not stupid/fluff. She walks a fine line between heart breaking and heart soaring. I rarely cry (about anything) but these books had me sniffling, laughing and living alongside the characters and their experiences.

>> The movie “Cloud Atlas” – I’ve heard people say that this movie was confusing, and I agree there is a lot going on between the 6 intertwined stories over the years, but I found it to be the most compelling, incredible movie I have seen in awhile. And all the actors play numerous roles, some are obvious and others are ingeniously hid with makeup. This movie gives an extraordinary weight to human experience and you feel absolutely moved and different by the end. It’s sci-fi, romance, action, thriller, mystery, feel-good–literally something for everyone.

While our government is busy tearing itself to pieces to score political points against each other, and while there’s not a single elected official on whom I would so much as piss if he, or she, were on fire, and while they are utterly ignoring the one thing that the country needs most right now (i.e., viz., and to wit: JOBS), I am happy to say that our customers at Goodwill (in Central Texas, and especially at North Star by Anderson Lane & Burnet Road!) are doing an awesome job. Our donors are helping fabulously with our Youth Services fund drive, in addition to the awesome clothing, electronics, books, toys, housewares, and everything else they bring us everyday. Our customers are helping us marvelously too, as we work together for the vision of a guy named Ed Helms, who looked toward a world where everyone who wanted a good job could get one. Thank you to our staff and our patrons for being awesome folks.

My Best Friend and I got together and put out a blog called http://happyhippieheart.blogspot.com/ We try each day to look for the good in the world. Some days are harder than others, but if you look hard enough it is always there :)

Last year, only 19 days after her 11th birthday, Avery passed away. Her mom, Bridget, decided to do something to celebrate her birthday and the 19 days that follow by performing random acts of kindness. She opened it up for others to join in and now has about 1500 likes on the facebook page. If all of those people do one random act of kindness for 19 days. . . that’s almost 30,000 good things. I never met Avery, but her story has touched me, so I’ll honor her with 19 random acts of kindness. I’m excited and can’t wait to begin. This is good. https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-19-Days/520963567981575

That girl can dance! I really do try not to post every day but at 5:00pm my fingers start twitching and I can’t resist. Something manages to amuse/annoy/amaze/bewilder me every single day :) I’ve found some brilliant blogs by looking through the comments on this site. Plus of course you never fail to give me a giggle.

There are several good nuggets on the interweb but this is one of my favorites. When I saw the video you posted of Hailey and her project it reminded me of this article. You have obviously done a wonderful job of not letting her let anyone steal her awesome. ALL girls should remember this!

I know you like blatantly said that not everything is like about being happy but this video, at least I think, is really cool. It’s something that I have been trying to do a little more of recently and I just think the concept is so great. I would really recommend that video. It’s not even that long!

You ROCK, girlfriend! A little over 3 years ago I quit my job after literally hating it for 4 of the 5 years I worked there. The best feeling ever was the facial expression of my boss when he knew I wasn’t ever coming back. Thanks for posting this, and for reminding people that they are still in charge of their lives. xo

Two things:
First, http://rescuepetsareawesome.tumblr.com/ is my happy place. In the endless stream of animals who need homes, I go to Anne Wheaton’s tumblr and read about ones who have great homes.

Second, Man Man band. e.g. http://youtu.be/JHydK-GyXU4 It’s an acquired taste, but I feel like you’d like them, Jenny. Their lyrics are as dark as the darkness their lead singer finds himself in sometimes. And now they’ve gone and gotten all famous’n’shit because of their Wolf Blitzer song ending up on Anderson Cooper’s show. But their older stuff has some fantastically tragic greatness to it. (I like this one too- http://youtu.be/65kaKO7AOGM)

I love your honesty and authenticity. You reached out a few posts ago, and it was while I was in the midst of crafting a letter to my 13-year-old self… hoping if she’d read it we could bypass many of the most painful, hurty times of life. The link to it should appear below. And also this awesome video.

Maybe not straight up your alley, but I write a blog that concerns itself with the perpetuation of good writing, classic rock, and never writing negatively – there is so much good in my world that I have no time for the bad – why would I listen to music I didn’t like, let alone write about it?

your amazing and make me happy, do not stop, PLEASE!!! someday…. when I grow up (I’m 50 you would think it would be soon) I will get enough strength to not care about the bills and everything else and state I quit, till then I soldier on……..

My 13 year old transgender son showed me this video. He liked two things about it…that it has real people in it (not stick-thin models) and that it is about being brave enough to tell/show everyone who you really are without fear. The lyrics are just as amazing and heartfelt.

Anyway, “Eat #### and Die” by B. Patrick is a comic I recently discovered. The one I’ve linked is about depression, but he hits a lot of issues with wit and style. He does some great things with the format as well. Recommending him.

As a newly published author who’s been told “YOU HAVE to get on social media,” I really appreciate this post. I feel like I’ve been thrown into the roller derby with one skate. I blog, I post, I tweet (only when I have to, I hate Twitter) I often just don’t want to…

Well shit – I of course want to plug me, but that is kinda a douche move. So instead I am gonna plug this other post i read today and was laughing my ass off. Because seriously who doesn’t need to laugh more? http://bitchinsisters.com – enjoy. You might already know about them – but this one was awesome.

Also: This is a good post. I’m not just saying that because I like you and I want you to like me back. I’m saying it because someone needed to say the shit you said, and you stepped up to the plate. So, FUCK YEAH! Go YOU!

Ok, this is one of those times when I read something and feel like it was directed at me. This is directly related to a conversation I was having today with someone who asked me to help her start an online magazine. Thank you so much for this, Jenny.

I love this post and I am in love with that video. I love the fact that she is going to go on to SUCH a better job. I love the fact that you don’t have posts that are sponsored by Vaseline or Pop Chips. I get that those have to exist, but it makes me sad. I thank you for making me feel ok that I post when I want to post (hell, it’s not my job but anyway). I feel like I’m regularly moved just by stuff people share on Facebook or twitter, like Louis CK on Conan talking about his daughters and why he won’t give them cell phones – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5HbYScltf1c.
Alice Bradley on her blog Finslippy usually makes me howl with laughter and sometimes cry.
I’ve been reading a lot of young 20-something women stuff online for a project I’m doing (I’m 44) and I LOVE how honest and self-depricating and hilarious and real they are. I love that 22 year old women are loving who they are more than when I was 22 (and that I’m ok with who I am now). I love that one wrote this http://www.cosmopolitan.com/celebrity/news/20-women-twentysomething about friends you need in your 20s, and that I had a lot of them. I love the community that has come about through blogging and social media – that it’s positive and supportive and giving.

This is better than good. She used not just her voice to get her point across…she used her body and whole spirit! I wish her continued good energy in a job she excels at and loves. She deserves that and more.

I would like to highlight the novel The Silent Wife by A.S.A. Harrison, a brilliant writer who wrote non-fiction and struggled to find that one fiction story that would be accepted for publication. She lead a beatnik life in her younger days and was a happy hippy. Decades later, she wrote this fabulous book (the Silent Wife) and sadly, just a few weeks before it was published, she succumbed to cancer. She never lived to see the huge success the book has become and we will never read another novel from this truly amazing author. She thought she would beat the cancer but it was not to be. So yes, quit the un-doable! Take a chance! Carpe diem!

My boss called me and my co-workers “minions” at work today… no joke. As it was past working hours, I just got up and walked out. Needless to say, I was pretty upset. Then I got home, and saw a new post from you. This video and your post made me feel so much better. I feel this girl’s pain. I have done the same thing. I have sacrificed my time, my relationships, my lunch hours, my days off, my weekends, my friends, and — many times — my happiness for this job, and this is how I get treated.

I don’t have the luxury of quitting at this time, but knowing that I’m not the only one going through this makes me feel better, somehow.

I’ve been reading the comments, and thanks to that, I forced myself to finally check out 8Tracks, and OMG I didn’t know what I’d been missing!

Also someone has already posted a video of Adichie and I’m reading her latest: Americanha, which I think is good.
Randallsanimals (honey badger don’t care) is something I go to whenever I feel particularly rejected by cats. I got to know about Randall through this blog, so you writing this post kind of makes cosmic sense.

Also, kudos to this woman who quit! I recently quit a job too, because it wasn’t satisfying me creatively.

My favorite book right now is Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride. It is hilarious with tons of pop culture references. The second book is Necromancing the Stone and it is just as awesome as the first. I can’t wait for her to write more.

I am a huge believer in quality over quantity and once in a while I throw in some photos of the magical place I call home.
I am all for promoting. You re the Oprah of bloggers in that if anyone gets your nod, they are instant stars!!!!!

Well, this is a film I made: Five Points. https://vimeo.com/71586126 It’s about the revenge of the roadkill. We made it using puppets. It’s funny, and was inspired by the death of my uncle, and I really like it. (I mean, I better really like it. But I really like it.) Maybe you guys will too.

Mira Grant is the author of the Newsflesh Trilogy (Feed, Deadline, Blackout), published by Orbit in North America and they are awesomely good books that everyone should read. I also just finished Joe Hill’s NOS4A2 which was at least as good as his daddy’s The Shining.

I’m a physician assistant and I spend all day going between patients and specialists and writing reports trying to interpret both of them in a manner that will make sense (hold up in a court of law) in the future.

Today I discovered that our electronic medical record spellchecks ‘dilaudid’ to ‘dildo’. I predict many hysterical medical notes exist within our system. If only I could share them, the world would instantly be a better (funnier anyway) place.

I’m tickled by this anime series called Polar Bear Cafe. It involves a laid back Polar Bear who runs a cafe near a zoo (he also likes really bad puns), a lazy but cute Panda, a sarcastic Penguin, and other human and animal characters. I find the dialogue/character interplay hysterical, and the anime visual tropes endearing rather than annoying. The opening sequence alone has the ability to cheer me up on a bad day.

Does this count? My Facebook page is about my battle with breast cancer. Any friend request I’ll accept in the hope of helping women going through this, people who are curious, and hopefully encouraging women and men to do self checks and get testing if something is different. I wanted from the beginning to share what MY battle has been like and the more I can get it out there, the more likely a life can be saved. My Facebook name is Julie Ours.

I just want to say thank you for being so normal about this blogging world. It’s kinda like the diet world, there are a bunch of people who claim to know the best way to do it and and throw lots of conflicting information at you. But in the end, you walk away much more confused than before and still eating TimTams.

Kid President! I watched this today at my middle school, and it made me smile. I knew I was going to have to share it with my friends. Since I am sharing it here all of you have become my de facto friends today.

I recently finished The Paradox of Vertical Flight by Emil Ostrovski. It’s really funny and sweet. The main character ends up kidnapping his newborn son and taking him on a trip to meet his grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s. He also tends to have these imaginary conversations with the baby (Who he names Socrates) about philosophy. Describing a good portion of the things I like makes them seem totally insane, but this book was good.

Also, as I was driving to work through super thick zombie fog on Friday, I heard this song: http://youtu.be/5y_KJAg8bHI. I really, really like that song.

Would you consider sharing our nonprofit’s website as an example of doing good on the internet? As you know, we work with an orphanage in Tanzania caring for 27 kids, from newborns to 5 years old, and we’re fundraising to create a children’s village, a long term home for these kids who have none. Thank you for considering it!

Fact: I am a person for whom this video is good. I’m unemployed and spend a lot of time wondering if I’m ever going to sort it all out. But as this makes clear, the “perfect job” doesn’t make for perfect happiness, and I definitely needed the reminder!

PS: My wonderful thing is a book I haven’t read yet. Shadows, by Robin McKinley launches in my country TOMORROW and I will have it. :)

OH the power of NO! THe most radical notion besides HAPPINESS.
I was exactly where she was three years ago when I sold everything and bought three plane tickets to Portugal. Now my family and I are living the dream. It only took ten years to get here. That is what I write about when I am not working my ass off (happily). ~ Thanks Jenny ** What a tribe.

I’ve just gone through the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my entire life this last year and a half. It’s the fluffy nonsense that was like a soothing balm on my wounded heart. My husband of 20+ years became addicted to meth right about the time you wrote your famous Meth piece. I still laugh my butt off when I read it.

Don’t change. You are very, very talented and I love reading your blog.

So I’d like to share a couple of good things to rise to the top.
First this is my go to song when I’m having a bad day, usually due to encountering someone not particularly pleasant. It is the song that allows me to vent without exploding because songs are still better than going postal.
NSFW http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IcqRbPk_bk

Second this is my other favorite blog by writer Mere Smith. http://evilgalproductions.com/
She is brilliant, funny and spot on. Her Pilot Season experiment is one of the greatest things I’ve ever read.

That girl is my new hero!
This girl (Ruth Soukup) wrote a book that got me out of a major creative funk. It taught me to believe in myself and focus on creating awesome content that is unique to me without focusing on the dreaded “pageviews”. I was about to give up on writing & creating and because of her I’m back and better than ever…I even started brushing my hair again :)http://www.livingwellspendingless.com/2013/09/25/how-to-blog-for-profit/

I love those moments when you encounter something wonderful that instantly compensates for everything that’s crappy about the Internet. (Finding this blog was one of them.)
My favourite Good Thing That Deserves More Attention is the webcomic Skin Horse ( http://skin-horse.com/ ), which kept me laughing through some pretty dark times. It stars a talking dog, manically cheery Frankenstein’s Monster, cross-dressing ex-military psychologist, and a cyborg helicopter. They work in Social Services, naturally.

I’m a handcrafted soapmaker and mine is a small but strong community of (mostly) women, most of us mothers and grandmothers, trying to earn a little extra money for our families and having small businesses built from the ground up. Recently a soapmaker on Ebay trademarked the term “soap loaf” which is a loaf of homemade soap sold at wholesale. She’s now going after anyone and everyone who tries to list a “soap loaf” on Ebay or Etsy for trademark infringement. This is a hardship to the thousands of other soapmakers who have used that term for years, and small businesses in the soapmaking industry are rising up to fight this. The solidarity and spunk of the soapmaking community has made me proud this week.

Thanks for being the amazingly humble and grateful person you are, Jenny. Reading someone who can show gratitude without losing your personal voice in the process is just wonderful. Thank you for being so awesome.

In the spirit of your post, I am sending a link to Zack Anner’s Back to School Workout Video. My son introduced me to this awesome comic who just so happens to have cerebral palsy. Please check him out.

I love this video and your message in this post! I am all for promoting people who deserve it! I saw this girl in playing at an art show in Bay View, WI the other night and she was amazing! You can check her out here https://www.facebook.com/MackenzieBenishMusic

I started a blog because writing makes me happy but I’m too much of a chicken shit to tell my friends or family about it even though I would love for them (or anybody, really) to read it and smile. So I’m telling you because you inspire me :) messyfloors.wordpress.com. Thanks for all you do!

This new duo from Frankfurt, Germany was touring the US last week to promote their video. Our family has a mutual friend, so we hosted them for a few days. Their simple gift of music filled our house with electricity that will not be forgotten.

My husband and I were living in LA, loving LA, and found ourselves in a bind, financially. (My) Work in the entertainment industry seemed to be drying up, and as a result, (his) work in the restaurant biz was following suit. Then his dad was diagnosed with four gnarly cancers, so we packed up our shit and moved back to NC. His dad died the day before we arrived, but so many stars had aligned, we felt that we were here for A REASON. Maybe that reason was to appreciate what we had left behind in Hollyweird. Maybe it was to jumpstart my husband’s creative career. Won’t you and/or your readers give a look at his first book? It’s a short novel set in the zombie apocalypse but NOT about the zombies. http://www.amazon.com/The-Other-Side-Fence-ebook/dp/B00DPZ04TE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1372889492&sr=1-1 is where you can download it for only NINETY-NINE CENTS. And while you’re at it, if you know of any film/television working in North Carolina, Florida, or LA that needs a professional gofer, won’t you send ‘em my way?

Thank you for linking that video, Jenny. I love that girl’s spirit. I’m sure her stars are aligning for something better as well. What the hell, let’s get EVERYONE’s stars to align! Wouldn’t that be awesome?

Although it’s old (by internet standards) news by now, I bought and read “Fortunately, The Milk” last week. And re-read it. And realized that it created a golden opportunity to introduce my 5-year-old to Neil Gaiman’s writing in a way that Chu’s Day (for all its glorious silliness) hadn’t quite done. We’re on our second reading, and we’ve already built our own time machine. BONUS!
*Also, a warning: you probably won’t be able to get the word diplodocus out of your head for a while…

Having had to quit my job in January, I enjoyed the video. Sometimes, other things in life are way more important that page loads.
Now have a new job, and being about to work at home, I have rediscovered some songs in my iTunes library. Really enjoying Thomas Dolby and Grouplove. It keeps me sane while working.

But when I look back at the ten months she spent fighting, and how my family came together and how they’ve handled the months since then, sadness isn’t what rules – what I feel most is that they make me proud to be human.

(Your wife sounded funny and amazing. I wish I could have met her. ~ Jenny)

You know who I love, who I forgot about for a while and then remembered about when you brought this up: Bakerella (http://www.bakerella.com). Her photos are amazing, but what she can do with some flour and decorations, she’s a dessert goddess.

I love her photos, love what she does … and I love the fact that she is so personal. Case and point: the cake pops she made for a proposal for one of her readers (whose then-boyfriend emailed her). So sweet. http://www.bakerella.com/wedding-cake-pops/

And the fact that she is honest and shares medical struggles with her readers, sprinkled in (yes, pun intended) with her dessert posts. Just the perfect balance.

I have a recommendation. I wish I could take credit for it, but I actually heard about this band from a recommendation from Pioneer Woman’s website.

The band is the Tedeschi Trucks Band, and the album is the Tedeschi Trucks Band Live. It freaking rocks! It’s the best, different kind of music I’ve heard in a long time. It’s sort of like a real jammin upbeat type of blues / classic rock. It’s awesome.

Jenny, I am so glad you are in this world doing what you do. You are gifted, beautiful and an inspiration and healer to so many millions of people. You are actually DOING GREAT WORK to help HEAL people, whether you know that or not or whether that’s even your intention – that’s HOW freaking awesome you truly are! Love ‘ya!!!

Just wanted to leave a comment to tell you how awesome I think you are!! Been following your blog for over a year now and I love every thing that you do! I also really appreciate how you reach out to people and showcase other peoples work all of the time that’s what community is all about!

I thought I’d leave you with my friend Victoria and Travis’ blog, they are skilled prop makers, fabricators and film makers that do a ton of cool shit, and also showcase other peoples interesting projects all the time. They are super talented, and inspire me all the time! I hope you enjoy it! http://anartistspride.blogspot.com

I read that post and have not really been on Facebook since…..it’s just too much for me. It hasn’t solved all my problems, but I feel more calm and a bit more centered….my head is not spinning with other people’s thoughts….only my own :)

I just kicked off a daily project on FB, where each day I randomly choose one of my FB friends and write a post about why I think they kick ass, why I love them, or write about some other positive way they have influenced me. We arent FB friends, but if we were, this is what I’d write on the day you were randomly chosen…
“I have never met Jenny in real life, but from what I know about her from stalking her blog, she is fucking hilarious and the kind of girl I’d like to do tequila shots with. I think we would get arrested. We all have skeletons in our closet, secrets that we hide from others, but Jenny makes the hanging bones of anxiety and depression less intimidating. She gears people up to deal with them head on, lets people know they arent alone, and shares her story to give others hope.”
Rock on, girl.

Thank you for this inspiring post. I appreciate your salute to those of us “who sometimes spend days in silence rather than adding something blah just for hits.” I also have far too many unfinished posts in my draft folder but as you said on your post “sometimes it’s ok to just shut up and listen.” I’m glad you listened to the voice that told you that this post was good, not for everyone, but might help someone. It certainly helped me. Oh, by the way my blog site is http://debsblogspot.wordpress.com — some weird, silly and sometimes serious stuff with not much editing (I try to keep it unfiltered, stream of consciousness style writing). -Deb

I love this! I would have done the same if I could. I had a job that I loved, in customer service (I know, but I did love it). It was great when I could do just the – provide customer SERVICE. I made people happier, I solved problems, I fixed errors, etc. THEN, the company (a bank, yeah, don’t yell) was bought by another. The new owner was all about SALES. It didn’t matter if the customers couldn’t afford it, we HAD to sell to everyone, even the people calling about bankruptcy! If I didn’t reach my assigned “goal”, I was berated, had to attend special training and meetings, and generally was made to feel like I was worthless. A coworker, a medic, took my blood pressure twice, worried I was going to have a heart attack. I popped Xanax at least 4 times a day and had nervous breakdowns at work. Full blown, head down on desk, crying hysterically, shaking like a leaf meltdowns. I did what I had to do…I quit. Then, I fought for unemployment and WON! Basically, the nature of the job chamged so much, I was not doing the job I was hired for. The judge was great!

Now, a few years later, after unemployment ran out, I still couldn’t find a job. Years passed! Then, I saw a job posting, applied and got it! The HR person thought I was a perfect fit. Making more money than before! I just finished the training, and the office I will be working in is not even built yet. I will be front desk at an urgent care center, and they value accuracy over speed. I will have at least one shift a week until it opens. I was the first person from the new hire training to finish training. I had my pick of shifts for October.

Basically, I am now happy. I have a great job, good pay, and my mental and physical health has improved. You have to sometimes just walk away before the bad stuff kills you and/or your soul.

I’ve been back to this post a few dozen times this week already, clicking on random bits of inspiration in the comments. It’s totally been that type of week. Thanks for encouraging everyone to make the Internet a better place.

It’s not a book or anything like that, but I found Oh Noa (www.ohnoa.com) via your sidebar, and have been eating up the posts like candy. They’re by turns insightful, insouciant, and some of the comments and GIFs are laugh-hard-enough-to-pee-a-little hilarious. Plus I dig the Thursday Throwdowns.

If you like urban fantasy novels, I’ve been glomming the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn and highly recommend them.

How about good people?
Vinnie Myers is a tattoo artist who specializes in tattooing nipples on mastectomy patients, because he thinks its criminal what a terrible job plastic surgeons do in this area, and how they charge thousands of dollars to do it. It sounds weird, but he is giving cancer patients back a little of their mojo.

And these guys, who took a class in their Freshman year that had them designing a medical device, and who stuck with the project for two years after the class was over, to finish it. Their robotic arm gives its recipient more mobility and independence.

This website is what made me happy this week. I spent hours yesterday watching these videos. My favorites: Conduct Us, The Mini Golf Open, Instant Date, Surprise Wedding Reception… and the entire concept of Black Tie Beach!! These people are brilliant.

Love this, love you, and love happy news. I have one to share – Robyn O’Bryant is a blogger (robinschicks.com) who has worked her ass off for years, got a book deal that pays actual money and not in coupons and she announced it yesterday, and it was just a happy post. And I got an essay in an awesome book “You’ve Got Lipstick On Your Teeth” (buy it now!) and that was pretty spectacular for me.

And I’m making cookies for my new neighbor, and wish I could give one to each of you, Bloggess Nation.

I’d like to (shamelessly) share the same post I put on Twitter today in the midst of the Government shutdown here in Washington. Because maybe what we all need to help us cope right now, is to laugh at how terrible my dating life has been :)

I’m not a blogger. Just a reader. So did I tell you yet? (have really BAD memory)
I read your blog a few years ago and hated it. You were going on a space ship (or somewhere) and your words just made me crazy (ier). I told my sister-in-law (who now lives in Chile and reads you!) and she was surprised that I didn’t like your blog.
Now I just love your blog. Not sure how it happened or when but I look forward to your posts. Blog on, Jenny!

I have to start with you, Jenny, as being the worthy-if-not-always-sunny but hands down best part of every day.
I have just been introduced to some terrific awesomeness from the above comments – there is no way i’m going to get through all of them and get any work done. I can’t believe I have never heard of The Civil Wars until now… now that they’ve apparently ‘broken-up’. At least I have time to get caught up with them lol.
Yes to all thing “Upworthy” and the TED talks.

Murph up there in comment 341 must share a brain with me. Because he summed up my feelings exactly. I really didn’t like your writing before. But I think your posts are amazing now.
It’s rare for me to change my opinion of someone so drastically.

although i am a fairly new reader of your blog, and found it via smithmag – i love your kick ass, self-effacing humor and your love of the weird. (my personal motto is ‘why be normal’ which i have probably said on this site before)… and THANK YOU for sticking to your guns and not letting anyone be the boss of you and your advertising dollar(s)…

That video speaks for all of us artist types who toil in the trenches doing shitty jobs for organizations who cannot manage to understand that we are their face to the customer. For those of us forced to endure WELCOME SPRING BINGO, basketball toss into the clown face, and curvy putt putt for $2 Subway cards because someone thought this would boost morale….That woman salutes us all.

We all dream of being the one who dances down the aisle. That was a wonderful reality moment. Thank you, dancing person, from the bottom of my heart.

Presenting: the reasons why I’ve picked this particular song to link you to.

1. it is the first entry in a Facebook thing that one of my facebook contacts spurred me to do – she announced she would be linking to a little-known cultural thing every night for the next month, and I thought “dammit, that’s such a good idea I’m going to do that too.”

2. It is a song sung by the Newfoundland band Great Big Sea, whom I am now giddily crazy about. I have both Irish and Canadian ancestry, so I’m pretty much genetically programmed to like Newfoundland guys who sing sea shanties and songs about pirates and stuff.

3. It is one of the few songs they do in French – and that reminds me of my grandmother, who was born in Acadian New Brunswick. Her family moved to Massachusetts when she was only about six, but she still spoke French her whole life – the rest of us didn’t, though, alas. But it’s very possible this song was around when she was little.

4. Even though my French is kind of lackluster, I was able to figure out what the chorus itself means — the French is “Le bon vin m’endort, l’amour me reveille,” which means “Good wine puts me to sleep, and love wakes me up.” Any song about drinking and sex, I’m down with.

5. Finally – okay, I’ve checked: and as I’ve suspected, the French these guys sing in is….not perfect. The band isn’t from Francophone Canada; the song is Quebecois in origin anyway, which is already a jump off French. And the band learned it from a New Brunswick person anyway, so you have a Quebecois song that a New Brunswick girl taught to some Newfoundland guys. My roommate is fluent in French (his mother’s from Paris) and I played this for him last night – within the first two lines he burst out laughing. But….the band doesn’t care – they still sound like they are having a hell of a time. (And they are – I saw Great Big Sea in concert in April, and they are INCREDIBLY fun.)

For all I know I found this on your blog… I have no clue but it’s worth sharing again. And again. And again. It makes me laugh every time.
BatDad compilation on YouTube: http://youtu.be/YlVi0noRr-o
Follow him on Twitter and Vine too. Good for a laugh every day! I can only aspire to being such a creative and fun parent.

Just finished reviewing “Monument Road” by Charlie Quimby, due to be published in November. A debut novel worthy of a spot on the NY Times Bestseller list. It’s the story of an aging Colorado rancher who promised to scatter his wife’s ashes over the highest outlook on Monument Road one year after her death. He decides to fling himself over the edge as well. As he drives to his destination, he ties up loose ends, meanders through his past, gains new insights about life and love and realizes that maybe it’s not his fate to die. Heartbreaking, rich in detail, and alive with characters that won’t let you go. Look for it in your favorite independent bookstore.

I love the blog “letters of note” – random letters written by sometimes well known people, sometimes unknown people to other random people. This is my favourite of all time – a letter written by the beautiful Stephen Fry to a woman he’d never met but who wrote him while she was depressed.

There is a fine art to keeping it classy while absolutely sticking it to someone who may or may not have even noticed you exist – this woman nailed it. Thank you so much for sharing!

I’m sharing this because after the first page I was giggling like an idiot and by the seventh page I was screeching with laughter – tears streaming down my face, the poor cat looking on bewilderment from a safe distance… So good: http://terriblerealestateagentphotos.com

Just a question. You received 365 comments. That’s a Good thing. But have you left 365 comments out there on other people’s blogs?
Or are you just posting. Because comments is a win-win situation as far as I concerne.
Thank you for your reply..

I don’t know if anyone is going to read this far down, but there are two things I came across recently that I would like to share. The first is an entertaining and informative blog with cartoons about art:

I LOVE THE BLOGGESS and there have been many times when the laughter has gotten me through a tough assignment or a miserable moment at work. That said, I can’t support this video. This girl is complaining and whining and publicly humiliating her boss because he or she cares about page views? She is paid to do a job. Her boss is paid for page views. It’s called business. SHE MAKES VIDEOS FOR A LIVING. That’s a cool job. Video is hard. The hours are long, but it’s a creative job that someone gets to do because someone else cares about the page views. Bottom line: This dancer is a spoiled young woman doing a shitty thing to people who gave her a creative job. I would have killed for that opportunity at her age. It’s hard to sympathize with this kind of entitlement. Not to mention, her video is pretty boring to watch. So, yeah. Hope her parent’s have fun supporting her.

You make me wanna blog. Not sure what I’d say right now, but I’m thinking about it. Until then, I just read David Wong’s “John Dies at the End” and it was the craziest (in a good way) thing I’ve read in years. I checked out the sequel, “This Book is Full of Spiders: Seriously, Dude – Don’t Touch It” because I need more story.
If I have books, lip balm, yarn, and coffee, I can ride out nearly anything. Oh yeah, plus all the medical crap that keeps me ticking. That too. And internet, so I can keep up with this blog.

Kara September 30, 2013 at 2:34 pm
Jenny – I’m a fan of the band Blue October – local boys for you. Justin, the lead singer, has written songs all about all his mental health issues and the struggles he’s been through. They have a new album and one of the songs on it is Fear, which is pretty much all about Anxiety. Both my daughters suffer with this and I do as well at times. It’s a pretty powerful song –

I second this message. Give the boys a listen. And if you like them, they often play in the area. I’m a great big fan and was about to post about them myself. Their older stuff is more about the health issues. This album is lighter, believe it or not, and Fear is one of the best songs on it.

My dog Mookie was paralyzed in April overnight due to a degenerative disc condition we didn’t know he had until then. After emergency surgery and months of home physical therapy, the story has a happy ending. Now we call him “Mookie the Mighty.” I made a little video about him here: http://youtu.be/g20W8CHRFHg

Carlos Ruiz Zafon wrote The Shadow of the Wind — that’s the English title. In Spanish it’s called The Cemetery of Forgotten Books. Zafon’s work has been perfectly described as a “love letter to literature” so it’s perfect for any who loves books, words, gorgeous writing, and gripping storytelling. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1232.The_Shadow_of_the_Wind

I’m going to throw love out to my baby, a lit mag called Devilfish Review. (www.devilfishreview.com) We publish fantasy and scifi, some of it’s dark some of it’s happy. Working on it brings a smile to my face and I love being the one (with my co0editor and bestie) to be the ones to publish stories that might not find a home otherwise. We’ll be putting out a new issue at the end of the month.

I recently remember how much I love Depeche Mode. Their last album is really good and I went to their concert recently. It was an emotional rollercoaster and it reminded me how rare true talent really is.

New book out called Bedlam Stories. They have a FB page and all that stuff but to get some great info on it http://www.Bedlamstories.com It’s creepy great! But just as a warning that it’s set in an insane asylum in the 1920’s so if that’s too hard for you I totally understand.

They are all self promoting it and they were listed on Amazon.com #7 in the Horror category! All through social media.

Thank you for posting this. I’ve been thinking about growing my blog, but I get overwhelmed thinking about how I need to create content every. single.day. But I know that a few good posts a week is better than something dumb or trivial posted Monday thru Friday. Your reminder makes me feel better about what I’m doing.

Here’s the best children’s book ever. I say that because I co-authored it and because 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the book will go to Heifer. Bam! You didn’t see that coming did you? Yep, giving money away to be helpful to people we don’t know.

You might not like it all that much because there’s NO profanity in it, at all. Sorry, it’s for kids. You’re readers might like it and your very nice conservative neighbor might like it. Please consider buying it as a Christmas gift for him.

I’m a little late to the post but I didn’t have anything to contribute the other day when you posted it. I so do now. This song is amazing. I will be listening to it on days when I don’t feel like I have the energy to deal with life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0sy7y54XAE

I totally get this girl’s video. I’m in the same industry. Thankfully I don’t work crazy hours and have a blast at my job. It is hard in the online industry to balance views and quality. I made my own parody video I hope it falls in the “legit funny” category: http://bit.ly/1bAFStz

I think I found my Halloween costume…the I Quit video girl FTW! That was pretty awesome.

If you get a minute, check out my book that came out last year. It got a good reception but my publisher is being kind of a jerk about marketing it this year and I’m not sure why. It’s a fast, easy, inspirational read.

I’ve known I was a writer since I was a child. I need to write and my mind races damn near constantly with words and ideas and things I feel like I’ll rip my own heart out if I can’t manage to express them. But, I’ve also been suicidally depressed since I was a child. Any time I was discouraged to write or express myself in any way I feel like I took it a little harder than your average kid. It’s like I’m still under every single thumb of anyone who ever put me down. All that pressure over the years has compressed my silence like a diamond. The mind races as quickly as ever, but it doesn’t make it out anywhere to anyone or anything. Ever.

It’s never been easier to communicate so easily, so quickly, so informally, so vastly and I do nothing with it. This is the most I’ve written in months and, if I go through with posting it (which would be a freakin’ miracle) it’ll be the first time I’ve posted anything for an untold number of strangers to read. I am the hardest and most unkind judge of myself and I never think that anything I write is more than silly fluff. And it’s not that I need someone to tell me it’s not – it’s that I can’t even put the words on the damn screen. I DO NOT understand how to write when I’m depressed. Even just to share it randomly with people I’ll never meet whose opinions I’ll never know. I know it’s something along the lines of “just do it” and “the artist’s way” and all that, but that feels to me like telling someone with no vocal cords to just speak…

I think, Jenny, that this is one of the absolutely most important things you’ve done here with your “silly fluff” and “utter crap” and other equally amazing things you’ve written – you’ve made a safe place. That’s rare enough in and of itself and that alone makes you a remarkable, uber-talented human being. But, for someone who associates their elementary school playground with their first memories of suicidal thoughts – my safe places have been pretty few and far between ever since.

So there you go. You inspired me to share and I did. I wrote something. I’ll call that an accomplishment for the day and send you my thanks – you did help me today. That is – if I actually submit it. If I don’t, is that failure? What’s the opposite of inspiration? Blowing hot air, I suppose? Oh the suspense!! Will it happen? Stay tuned? Is it a cliff hanger or will she do it???? Can she press the button?????????

This response is a bit belated, but if you’ve got a few minutes and want to read something that had me laughing OUT LOUD at work, getting all sorts of strange anti-social stares from my co-workers, then you have to check out this blog post.

Not someone I know, but honestly one of the funniest things I have ever read (possibly because I have a LOT of friends who used to work in bookstores, and some of this just hits way too close to home. I kept reading it thinking, “OMG, I *know* that guy!! …”).

That, and the following conversation took place in my house last night between my 9 year-old daughter and my boyfriend:

MY DAUGHTER: (* to my Boyfriend *) “What’s the difference between an elephant and a loaf of bread?”

MY BOYFRIEND: “I don’t know.”

MY DAUGHTER: “Well, then there’s no point sending YOU to the grocery store, is there?”

If you haven’t checked it out yet, I highly recommend Ricky Gervais’ new show “Derek”. The person who recommended it to me described it as being the very essence of sweetness. In the first 30 minute episode, you will laugh and you will cry. But it’s a sort of, my heart hurts because it just grew three sizes cry. The show has created a whole movement around the idea that “Kindness is Magic.”

I have been blogging for a while. you were one of the first big bloggers I had read. reading your ‘not always funny/sweet/cute/socially acceptable’ posts was one of the things that drove me to blog more. it doesn’t always have to be about the likes or ads or traffic. and kudos to that awesome video. I definitely feel like making a video like this…but to life. there are so many amazing people in this world who never get recognition and work their asses off for another person’s ego/benefit.

If you have been cheated on and are caught up in the Reconciliation Industrial Complex that’s telling you to suffer some more and “save” your marriage, while your inner voice is killing you… DO NOT. Go read chumplady.com and get back your self respect and your life. Save yourself a world of hurt and depression.

Maybe you would like me? I make art. Cats and stars and babies with vampire teeth. There’s kind of a lot in my portfolio… http://artlovelight.com/art-portfolio/ if you like me and say so I will send you fifteen assorted drawings. I can make for you custom… like your cat. Dead things doing strange things. It would be fun!

More art here. http://daniellabovitz.com/2013/10/05/rothafel-surely-didnt-see-this-coming/ Can’t promise to send you anything if you click through, but you will be noticed and appreciated. And I hope you’ll browse and find something in my art that speaks to you (we can let other people think it speaks to them, but you and I will know that it only really speaks to you…). If you do, and if you find something you like, please let me know!

I have a great book recommendation! I just finished the three book series, The Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Best escape ever. It’s a three book series, so it’s sort of like a month long vacation instead of a crappy week one. The books are so finely written I found myself warring over whether to hurry through it to find out what happens next and taking it in slowly so I wouldn’t miss a beat. Excellent writing.

Recently learned of you, Jenny…currently reading your memoir and am scaring my husband a bit with all of my hystericals. but oh well. Anyway, if anyone’s looking for a wonderful author who’s a little bit off kilter, then try Christopher Moore. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. I’m all for anyone who can make people laugh and enjoy this screwed up world we live in.

I can’t wait until I can quit my job in an epic way. 8 more months and I will graduate with my design degree (at 42) I wish I had just figured it out sooner. Good for her and anyone who didn’t want to conform to the man!